Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Politics
Andrew Gregory Health editor

Jeremy Hunt ‘ignored’ NHS staff shortages while health secretary

Jeremy Hunt and Theresa May in hospital
Jeremy Hunt on a visit to the Royal Free Hospital in London with Theresa May in 2018, when he was health secretary and she was prime minister. Photograph: Dan Kitwood/AFP/Getty

Jeremy Hunt has been accused of ignoring serious NHS staff shortages for years and driving medics out of the profession while health secretary after he intervened this weekend to warn of a workforce crisis.

Promoting his new book, Zero: Eliminating Unnecessary Deaths in a Post-Pandemic NHS, Hunt said tackling the “chronic failure of workforce planning” was the most important task in relieving pressure on frontline services. Now the chair of the health and social care committee, he said the situation was “very, very serious”, with doctors and nurses “run ragged by the intensity of work”.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.